# What do you use your spare hand for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292 "2007-12-17T03:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/1 "2007-12-17T03:40:08Z")
I’ve just decided that from now on I’m going use my spare (right) hand for all the messy things, like eating warm chocolate or buttery toast or other messy/greasy food, so as not to transfer grease onto my mouse, which is really unpleasant. It’s hard to type with one hand though so I’m sacraficing the right side of this keyboard to the grease-ogs. I hope I can keep this new resoltion up. What things do you force yourself to use your spare hand for? [sub]Sequential threads: What do you use your spare hand for? Ask the casino dealer…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/2 "2007-12-17T03:44:14Z")
Since I broke my dominant arm yesterday, I use my spare arm for everything right now. I’m most displeased about my handwriting skill. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/3 "2007-12-17T03:57:57Z")
Being lazy I have bottles of [Aqium](http://www.aqium.com.au/AQIUM/ARTICLE/pc=PC_90007) near my computer at home and at work. Nothing else needed. I use it before playing my guitar too to help keep oil and grease off the strings. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/4 "2007-12-17T04:10:42Z")
What spare hand? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/5 "2007-12-17T04:14:30Z")
Do you mean your non-mousing hand? Because I have two mice, one on either side, and I switch around. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/6 "2007-12-17T04:41:15Z")
[QUOTE=dangermom] Do you mean your non-mousing hand? Because I have two mice, one on either side, and I switch around. [/QUOTE] Really?! ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/7 "2007-12-17T04:47:58Z")
If I had a _spare_ hand, I’d have three hands! I consider both my current hands to be non-expendable. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/8 "2007-12-17T05:35:46Z")
I keep a spare hand in my desk cupboard. It made an excellent back scratcher once rigor set in. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/9 "2007-12-17T05:45:07Z")
For some reason it goes behind my head. The left hand does all the work. SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/10 "2007-12-17T05:58:17Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] Really?! [/QUOTE] Sure. The left one is programmed oppositely, so I always use my index finger for regular clicking. It’s very convenient. My husband’s the one who set it up. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/11 "2007-12-17T06:17:07Z")
you mean this isn’t a masturbation survey? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/12 "2007-12-17T06:36:09Z")
My left hand’s pretty much useless by itself and I can’t use it for anything requiring any real strength or coordination. Hope your arm heals quickly and cleanly, **Ferret Herder**. ---
**Author:** ![Purgatory\_Creek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Purgatory\_Creek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purgatory_Creek)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/13 "2007-12-17T06:47:18Z")
As a trackball user, I am unable to eat anything with my dominant hand. Seriously. Even when I’m not at the computer, I eat only using my “spare” hand unless my food requires cutting, at which point I take a break and go watch TV. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/14 "2007-12-17T06:55:01Z")
I wrap my spare hand around my lips and toot bugle hits. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/15 "2007-12-17T08:54:41Z")
I’m semi-ambidextrous. I can do most things with either hand, although I’m naturally right handed and still better with my right. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/16 "2007-12-17T08:59:08Z")
[QUOTE=outlierrn] you mean this isn’t a masturbation survey? [/QUOTE] …97, 98, 99…change hands 😛 ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/17 "2007-12-17T11:07:45Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] Being lazy I have bottles of [Aqium](http://www.aqium.com.au/AQIUM/ARTICLE/pc=PC_90007) near my computer at home and at work. Nothing else needed. I use it before playing my guitar too to help keep oil and grease off the strings. [/QUOTE] The company I work for recently stuck a bottle of that stuff on every desk on all their sites in the UK. Nice, huh. Just the thing to help staff keep the bugs at bay over winter. Took them several hours of overtime for security staff, per building. The next night, they took them all away again. Putting 250 ml of 60-70% ethanol gel on every desk suddenly didn’t seem like a good idea :smack: I blame the guy who got some in his eyes, but it was probably the people who ate the stuff that did it. Si ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/18 "2007-12-17T15:01:56Z")
Alt-Tab, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-Z, Ctrl-V, etc. I just realized that if you were left-handed most of these keyboard commands would not be as natural to use while um . . . mousing. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/19 "2007-12-17T15:06:26Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] I’m semi-ambidextrous. I can do most things with either hand, although I’m naturally right handed and still better with my right. [/QUOTE] Hi, cousin! I’m lefty-turned-righty; I write with my right because I was trained that way (and the training involved being hit by a ruler on the bunched ends of my fingers, I hope the teacher who did it had the worst case of haemorroids ever recorded), but there’s many other things which I do with either hand. Comes handy when you have to unscrew and screw something in a hard-to-reach place (no, not that kind of screwing, you weirdos!). ---
**Author:** ![Kuboydal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@Kuboydal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kuboydal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292/20 "2007-12-17T15:10:50Z")
Mine keeps my digital watch from sliding off. I still think digital watches are a neat idea. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-use-your-spare-hand-for/430292.md?page=2)